Fencing-dropper.



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

EDWARD RowLAND HUEY EDKINS, E LoNGREA-crr, QUEEESLAND,

AUSTRALIA. -l

FE Nome-ono PPE n Specification of Letters Patent.4 y l Ammann had May 9,1906. Serin No. 315,998.

Patent'doct. 23, 1906i To all wiz/0m it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD R'owLAND HUEY EDKr-Ns, grazier, asubj ect of the King of Great Britain, residing at Bimbah, Longreach, in the State of Queensland, Australia,

have invented an Improved Fencing-Dropper, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprises a simple but effective fencing-dropper, and is designed esro pecially for the purpose of preventing horses or cattle disenga ing same from said fences, and also with t e obj ect of enabling the droppers to be quickly erected or removed.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the I 5 invention and comprise, Figure 1, an en-l larged perspective view of part of the dropper; Fig. 2, a plan of the dropper, (fixed;) Fig. 3, a side elevation before attachment7 (broken;) Fig. 4, a front elevation, (xed,)

zo and Fig. 5, a side elevation opposite to that of Fig. 3, (fixed.)

According to this invention, the dro per is formed of metal bent or stamped into t e zigzag shape shown in the drawings-11. e., with ve distinct sections 1 2 3 4 5, each of which is at right .anglesto its adjacent sections, and consequently all are alternately parallel. Thus the two outer sections 1 5 are parallel to i each other, but are bent in opposite directions and constitute flanges, whichvinsure the rigidity of the dropper.

One edge of the dropper is formed with horizontal slots 6 for each wire 7', extending through the sections 1 and 2, and the inner 3 5 end 8 of each slot extends upwardly in said section 2, and thus constitutes an angular `bayonetslot, which terminates in a lateral recess 9 in the part 3, It is also preferable that the mouths of said slots are flared, as at 4o 10, to facilitate the insertion of the wire. In order to fix the dropper, it is placed into the position shown in Fig. 3, when the wires enter the horizontal part 6 of the angular bayonet-slots. The wires then enter the vertical or longitudinal ends' 8 of said slots, and the dropper is lowered, after which said dropper is turned, as shown by arrows, Fig. 2, at right angles into the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, when the wires 7 engage the 5o recesses 9 and lay against the broad sides of the sections 2 and 4.

In order to lock the dropper in position, pieces or keys 11 are provided either for each wire or only one thereof,.as desired. Said keys-are-formedof -lat piecesvof metal, which 5 5 are adapted to lie against either the side of the flange 5 or of the flange 1 and in the latter case are so arranged as to cover the flared openings 10 of the slots 6 and so serve to somewhat strengthen these parts. The side 6o 12 of the key is bent and adapted vto fit around the outer edge of said flange 1 or section 5 and be guided thereupon and may be secured by a wedge-pin. The lower edge 13 of the key is formed with an upwardly-inclined slot 14, terminating in a lateral recess 15 approximately at right angles thereto, into which the wire fits.

In xing the key in position it is slipped over the flange or section 5 and pushed down- 7o wardly until the wire 7 engages the inclined slot 14. By now drivin the key farther down the inclined sides of the slot force vthe wire a little aside until free of said slot, when it springs into the lateral recess 15, and thus 7 5 effectively prevents the dropper from turning at right angles, so locking the dropper to the wires. In order to free the dropper, the key 11 is removed and the dropper turned at right angles and raised, when it may be 8o moved laterally and disengaged from the wires.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be per- 8.5 formed, I declare that what I claim is 1. An improved fencing-dropper formed ofy metal bent into the zigzag shape shown in the drawings, angular bayonet-slots with recesses at their ends in one edge of said drop- 9o per in combination with means for'locking said dropper in position.

2. A fencing-dropper formed of metal and bent into five distinct sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, each of which is at right angles to its adjacent section, a bayonet-joint comprising a horizontal slot in the sections 1, 2, a vertical or longitudinal slotin the latter section and 'a lateral recess in the section 3 in combination with means for locking the dropper in position substantially as set forth.

3. In a fencing-dropper a fiange or section at right angles to the main portion thereof in combination with a key, one side of which is adapted to fit around said flange, said key having an upwardly-inclined slot in the lower edge thereof and further provided with a lateral recess at the. end of said slot substantially as set forth. ,Y Y

4. In a fencing-dropper of the kind de scribed an angular bayonet-slot formed in one edge and a remov'able key adapted to it the other edge of said dropper and comprising a flat piece of metal bent on one side to fit the dropper and having on its lower edge an upwardly-inclined slot formed with a lateral recess at the end thereof substantially as set forth.

5. In a fencing-dropper a right-angled flange on either edge thereof parallel to each other but extending in opposite directions ROWLAND llUllY EDKINS.

Witnesses EDWARD WATERS,

EDWARD NEEDHAM WATERS, 

